Plummer, Alvarez among Two-Man golf leaders

BRUNSWICK, Maine — Two teams combined to shoot blistering 7-under-par 65s Tuesday in the first round of the 2013 Two-Man Team Championship at Brunswick Golf Club.

Mark Plummer of Manchester and Joe Alvarez of Hampden, who were on Maine’s winning Tri-State team last weekend, tied former Brunswick members Steve Lycette and Tom Ellsworth. Four groups were tied for third at 66.

Twenty-three teams were under par for the first round, which featured scramble on the front nine and a best-ball format on the back. Wednesday’s final round will feature best ball on the first nine and modified alternate shot (both players hit drives) on the back.

Lions’ Burleson breaks forearm in car accident

Detroit Lions wide receiver Nate Burleson broke his arm in two places in a single-car accident early Tuesday.

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The team confirmed the accident in a statement issued at 9:15 a.m. ET. According to the Detroit Free Press, Burleson wrecked his vehicle when he became distracted by a pizza falling off of his passenger seat.

“Nate Burleson was involved in a one-car accident overnight,” the statement read. Burleson suffered a broken arm and will undergo surgery today. Police confirm there was no alcohol involved.”

Burleson was returning to his home after watching Monday Night Football with teammates and suffered no other injuries.

Coach Jim Schwartz said Burleson broke both bones in his forearm. His surgery, scheduled for Wednesday, will be performed by the same surgeon who operated on Burleson’s broken leg in 2012.

NBA mulls nicknames on player jerseys

The Truth matters, at least it does to NBA marketing.

Paul Pierce’s well-known nickname could be stitched to the back of his Brooklyn Jets’ uniform this season for one game against the Miami Heat rather than the customary last name as the NBA ponders allowing some players to individualize team uniforms.

The first meeting between the teams is in Brooklyn on Nov. 1.

Pierce, who has The Truth emblazoned on his custom Nike shoes, and other players were informed of the NBA considering the use of nicknames on uniforms in August.

LeBron James could opt to have his No. 6 jersey adorned with “King James.” Teammate It’s not known if the league will allow Andrei Kirilenko to use his nickname, AK-47, on his jersey. Among considerations for the league office on that matter will be the proximity to Newtown, Conn., which is 90 minutes from the Nets’ home arena in Brooklyn and was the site of an elementary school mass shooting in December 2012.

Cowboys’ Spencer needs microfracture surgery

Spencer, who underwent arthroscopic surgery July 25 and was limited throughout training camp, said last week he suffered a setback in his rehab as he was held out of the Sunday’s game against the Rams. Spencer played 34 snaps against the Chiefs. He missed all of training camp and the season opener.

It will be up to Spencer whether he has season-ending surgery on his troublesome left knee. He said last week he didn’t think it was needed. It’s not known what changed, but Spencer said he had dull pain in his knee after the game in Kansas City.

Spencer was designated the Cowboys’ franchise player in free agency in March, giving him a one-year, $10.6 million salary.

Cilic cited injury at Wimbledon to hide failed drugs test

Marin Cilic cited a knee injury at Wimbledon this year to hide the fact he had failed a dope test, the International Tennis Federation has revealed after handing the Croatian a nine-month suspension.

The former world number nine, banned last week after testing positive for the banned stimulant nikethamide, has said he never knowingly took any banned substance and plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The ITF, in a full decision of its independent anti-doping tribunal published on its website (www.itftennis.com), said the player was charged with a doping offence in a letter dated June 10 after a positive result in Munich on May 1.

Cilic received the letter on June 11 in London before his first match at the Queen’s Club pre-Wimbledon tournament.